Persona Zero
by Burgh My Boy
Summary: A direct squeal to Arena. They've finally been gathered, all twenty-one heroes of the past four years in one place. Here, in a strange hell, he plans on killing them one by one and stealing their persona. Yet what he doesn't expect is that they aren't going down without a fight.


**60 minutes remaining**

** N**aoto Shirogane straightened out her grey pea coat before heading towards the alley. It was unexpectedly chilly for this time of year, an odd happening that she was perhaps reading too much in to. None the less, she was grateful for the amount of layers she typically wore, which served to block out both the cold and her gender; and judging by the caliber of men she was passing, it was a boon that they remained ignorant of her dual purpose coat. Peeking out of the corner of her eye, Naoto noticed that Kanji Tatsumi was busy sorting out the contents of his pilfered coat. Not even five minutes in to their investigation, a heavy-set man that reeked of alcohol attempted to rob Naoto of any belongings she had in response to her inquires about the area. For the first time since Yu insisted that Kanji follow her, Naoto felt thankful for his presence. It was a quick fight, one that ended with Kanji standing over the unconscious man's body, sheepishly looking over towards Naoto before stripping him of his aviator jacket and wearing it as his own. The jacket had an odd patch on the back, a laughing skull with colorful flowers surrounding it, which must have symbolized that man as some sort of leader since most of the street thugs saw the patch on Kanji and immediately changed their stance from aggressive to passive.

Kanji possessed this dumb luck that Naoto admired from afar. Whereas she attempted to use logic in order to get out of situations, he seemed to barrel in with no cause for concern, confident in his luck and skill. Oddly enough she had yet to see a situation where this failed him. Kanji must have finally felt Naoto's eyes on him, as he turned a bright red and snapped an aggressive question in her direction. Naoto's reply was curt and brought up something she hoped he had an opinion on.

"It's unusually cold, isn't it?"

Kanji shrugged and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. He purposely avoided her eyes and stared straight ahead, his strides becoming a little less confident. For the life of her, Naoto never understood why she had this affect on him.

"Sure, I guess. I'd be more worried if it was foggy, but it ain't even close."

Indeed, the skies were a deep blue that ought to have signified a warm summer day. Still, Kanji brought up a point that she had almost overlooked. It wasn't foggy, which meant that the TV word couldn't be involved. …right?

Truthfully, Naoto thought that the Investigation team shouldn't have even come here. She was eager at first to reassemble the team, happy to be around her friends again, but once the excitement had worn off, and they were on the train towards the port the next day, she began to wonder if she should have spoken up. Mitsuru and her team seemed like a capable bunch, and they only had a limited amount of time to solve this case. They didn't even have clues to go off of, only a location. Speaking these facts wouldn't have influenced Yu or Yosuke though. Once they had a plan they followed through, stubbornly backing up the other no matter the consequences. Unfaltering loyalty…Naoto never understood it until she made friends. Shaking her head in an effort to bring herself back to the present, she addressed Kanji again.

"Did you find anything of use in the coat?"

By use, she meant clues, but Kanji began to list off a pocket knife, a pack of gum, and a wallet with a few bills in it and several pictures of naked women. Naoto rubbed her eyes. Just who had he robbed?

"Oh yeah, and I found this list of names." This immediately perked up Naoto and she almost tripped over a crack in the ground heading towards him. Kanji caught her arm before she fell, his body tensing up when he realized their close proximity. One would think that fighting together for a year would have made him used to this contact, but he still reacted this way. Roughly righting her, Kanji shoved the paper in her hands and looked away, "H-here."

It took Naoto an unreasonable amount of time to unfold the paper, her cold fingers struggling with the simple task, but when she finally accomplished it, she was met with a clue that warmed her to the core. It was a list of names, all crossed out except for one; Iori. They had a name now, and while it might not pertain to the case at hand, it was still a mystery to solve, and Naoto had a hard time turning away cases. She gave Kanji a rare smile and put the paper in her breast pocket. "Looks like we have our first clue," Naoto informed Kanji, taking the lead in their walking formation this time. "We're looking for an Iori."

"Should we call Yu?" Kanji asked, already pulling his phone out of his pocket. Naoto shook her head and looked at her watch. "We still have about an hour before we're to meet up at the beef bowl shop. Let's continue looking around until then." He shrugged once more and put his phone in his pocket. Noticing that they were heading in to another rough area of the alley, Kanji straightened his shoulders and began to glare at everyone around them. Naoto looked down and sunk into his shadow. He was the brawn and she was the brain, and together they'd find the clues to help wrap up this case.

* * *

**53 minutes remaining**

**J**unpei Iori hated this class. The professor was a bore, the girls were desperate, and the boys had no depth to them excluding their muscles. He would have dropped this class a long time ago had Yukari not threatened to make his life hell. Junpei was her excuse during the times when she had to partner up. He was also used to rid of unwanted suitors and as an excuse for when they were late for class. Not that he blamed her for that last one; he really was the cause when they were late. It wasn't his fault that on Mondays it seemed that everyone wanted to visit his favorite coffee shop. Still, it _was_ her fault that she kept walking with him. Junpei guessed that she had some creepy stalker she was trying to get rid of; otherwise she wouldn't have shown the world their friendship so easily.

Speaking of Takeba, he noticed that the muscle head beside her was taking an unusual interest in her shirt today. Granted, it was one of his personal favorites that she wore. The simple white V-neck showed off her collar bones, and when she bent down you could see just the right amount of cleavage…

Junpei suddenly smiled to himself, and not because he was picturing something. Well, maybe because he was thinking of something…but also because he came up with an idea. Ripping out a piece of notebook paper, he scribbled a notice to Yukari, and sent the note flying across the room to her desk. It was a precise throw, one that came with years of practice, and he was pleased when it hit its mark. Eyes never leaving the front of the room, Yukari leaned to the side to grab the note he had purposely thrown towards the ground. Just as he guessed, the kid's eyes followed her chests every movement. Junpei was giddy now; this really was going to work out. Hopefully the consequences wouldn't be too harsh.

Yukari carefully opened his note and quickly read it. Not that he had written much, just a simple sentence that pointed out the fine fellow near her. Yukari wrote back a single word and threw the note back over her shoulders. Like his, it landed right where she wanted, on top of his desk, and now the boy wasn't looking at Yukari at all, but at Junpei, his eyes a mixture of curiosity and hate. He didn't have to open the note; he knew that all it would say was something like, 'seriously' or 'whatever.' Still, much to his delight, she once again bent over, this time to get her sweater out of her bag, staring at the boy from underneath her bangs. He supposed that she must have noticed, since she put on her sweater in an embarrassed rush and angled her body away from the boy.

Suddenly, Junpei became very interested in his notebook the moment the boy snapped his head back towards Junpei. The note Yukari had sent him still lay there, unopened. He knew that opening it would just make himself disappointed, but curiosity got a hold of him, and he hastily opened it. Junpei felt a smile split his face and looked up at the ceiling. Written in her delicate, small script was _thanks_. His eyes trailed down to the clock, and his smile was quickly replaced with a frown. Class wasn't even half-way over and the meat head now had his friends glaring at Junpei too. Oh well…maybe after class he'd invite Takeba to get a burger. That way he'd make sure that those guys didn't touch her, and she'd…well... make sure that they didn't do the same to him.

* * *

**46 minutes remaining**

**Y**osuke was _supposed_ to be looking for clues.

He was _supposed_ to be asking locals about anything suspicious.

What he was _not_ supposed to be doing was looking around a shopping district for Teddie. Already, before Teddie had gone missing, he was pissed. Why did he get assigned the shopping district? Could he not get away from Junes even when he went on a trip? Not that there was a Junes, but there sure were a hell of a lot of signs advocating for it to never come here. He was conflicted in that he both agreed and disagreed with the signs. If the people wanted Junes, let it freaking set up shop here, but at the same time, Iwatodai seemed to have a thriving shopping district already that relied heavily on independent stores. He briefly wondered if competition between the stores was high, before he mentally shook himself for contemplating business matters instead of looking for Teddie. It shouldn't be that hard to find him, he reassured himself, craning his neck around the crowds of middle-aged women. Even without his suit, Teddies' platinum blonde hair and flamboyant outfit really set him apart from your average teenager. Still, he couldn't believe that that stupid bear had run off when he knew just how important this case was and how little time they had to investigate it. Yosuke's pessimism began to set in and change his anger to worry as his watch beeped, signaling him that they had half an hour left before they were to all meet up.

Pulling out is phone he desperately tried calling him once more. It rang, rang, rang, and finally –

"HELLOOOOOO Brosuke!"

Yosuke held the phone away from his head and rubbed his ear carefully. Every other day it seemed that someone was trying to bust his eardrums.

"Where the hell are you Teddie? This isn't funny."

He could hear Teddie whimpering like an injured dog and sighed. It was hard to stay mad at him for too long. "I found a few _lovely _ladies," Yosuke heard giggling in the background and wanted to slam his head into the stone fountain, "who told me something very interesting." Yosuke began to chant a mantra in his head. _Please let it pertain to the case, please let it –_ "They said that recently they've seen a strange girl with white hair coming in and out of the antique store in the shopping district." Oh shit…as in the antique store right in front of him!? As in Labrys?

"Teddie, you need to get here right now. I'm in front of the fountain-"

"Isn't that right by the antique store"

"YES. Yes, it is, which is why I need you to get here right now."

"Okay, okay, I'll have to say goodbye to my hunnies but I assure you that I'll be there as soon as…" Teddie suddenly began to giggle and Yosuke heard kissing noises from the other end of the phone. Scrunching up his face, Yosuke hung up and moodily say down on the edge of the fountain, crossing his legs and keeping an eye on the shop before him.

The store looked largely run-down save for a swinging sign out front that told him just what exactly it was. How wondered why Labrys would be going in to it? She of all people would the last person he suspected of having an antique hobby. She hadn't even been around humans long enough to develop a hobby. Yosuke's foot began to tap in impatience and he fiddled with phone. He was deciding if he should call Teddie back or not when he heard footsteps behind him. Standing up he turned around, hands on his hips and glare ready. He opened his mouth to begin his lecture, but was shut up by a heavy accent and bright red eyes.

"Yosuke? Whata you doin' here?"

Oh crap.

* * *

**39 minutes remaining**

** R**ise Kujikawa couldn't believe her luck. When Yu had told the group that they were to split off in to pairs and go searching in various districts for clues, she thought that she was going to have to beg to be with him. Before she could even start however, he listed them first.

"Rise and I will look around the train station." She will never forget that sentence.

Rise resisted hanging on to Yu's arm and curling her hand around his. He was _so _confident and mysterious. Even though she had known him for a year and was considered one of his closest friends, he was still an enigma to her, and she had a problem resisting his inherit charms. What she did do, however, was to make sure that the space between them was kept to a minimum and often brushed her hand softly against his. It was rare that she saw him, and she was planning on using her time wisely. This kind of passive flirting wasn't what she was used to, but she was having fun seeing him try and ignore it.

Yu was paying attention to the case at hand far better than she was and constantly scanned the area, stopping every now and then to tug the two of them over to a stranger and ask them if they noticed anything different. So far they'd been unsuccessful, but she had gotten several requests for her picture. She knew that by now the internet would be buzzing about Risette and her mysterious male friend, and that both pleased and annoyed her. Deep down Rise wished that she cared more about the case than being around the person, no the _people_ that she loved. Yet she was hedonistic, and she knew all too well how hard it was for her to concentrate when she was around someone she liked. She supposed that in that aspect she was like Kanji. Ugh, something about that comparison just does not sit well with her. Rise scrunched up her nose and Yu noticed.

"Something the matter?"

Rise tilted her head towards him. "Oh, uh, yeah. You see, that girl over there, I think she might know something."

Yu smiled and Rise felt her stomach do a tumble. "Over where exactly?"

Rise dumbly lifted her finger and pointed in a random direction, praying that it landed on a girl they hadn't interviewed yet. Yu made a noise in his throat that sounded like an approving hmm, and set out towards the person she picked out, Rise trailing behind slightly. She had kept her eyes averted from the spot she pointed out, and was still in slight surprise that her plan had actually worked. She wasn't partially religious, but when they returned home, she'd make it a priority to pray at the shrine for her luck. The woman fate had her point out had odd, blue hair twisted into a braid and a delicate frame. She was so petite that Rise was jealous. She didn't know if she should praise the girl on her body, or ask about her work-out routine. At least she didn't have to worry about breaking the ice, as when she arrived, Yu had already asked the girl if she noticed anything. She cocked her head and moved the wicker basket from one hand to the other.

"No, not really," she looked apologetic and held out her hand. "My name is Fuuka Yamagishi by the way, and why do you ask?" Yu took her hand, but Rise answered, knowing he wasn't a capable liar. "We're reporters from Inaba and we're here inquiring about the odd weather you've been having." Rise hoped that this wasn't the first unusually cold day they've had.

"Oh, well I suppose it is a bit weird, but why would that…Oh! That's right, Inaba started having odd weather around the same time the murders happened, didn't they?" Rise was pleased that Fuuka picked up so quickly what she was getting at, and she felt her enthusiasm gaining when she thought about how proud Yu must be of her for thinking up such a good story so quickly. "They did," Rise responded, twisting her face in to a pout, "and so far we've had no luck asking the locals if anything along the same lines has been occurring. We were hoping you'd have an answer." This seemed to put Fuuka on the spot, and she began tilting her head left and right. "Well, I suppose you could come with me to visit my friend in the hospital. He's always had more know than me about what's going on, and he'd be…_willing_ to answer your questions." Rise wanted to make a comment about how it was a little sad that a man in the hospital knew more than she did, but it was Yu's turn to take over, and she kept quiet. "We'd love to," Yu confirmed, holding out his hand to carry the basket for her. "Why don't you tell us more about this friend of yours?" Fuuka laughed and handed him the basket, brushing her hands off on her dress. "You two are quite the team," she remarked, smiling at Rise. Rise kept her eye contact and grinned in return. We'd make a better couple, she thought, feeling bitter despite the compliment.

Fuuka broke off the eye contact first and began to walk back towards the train. "His name is Shinjiro, and he can be a little hostile, but really, he's…" Fuuka began talking to Yu and Rise fell back a little behind them, nodding and laughing when necessary. She was happy that they had found a clue, but she couldn't help but feel as if something bad was about to happen. Rise looked at her watch. Not much time now before they were supposed to meet up. Yu suddenly called for her and Rise realized that she had fallen behind. Jogging to catch up to them, Rise tried to push all of those worries behind her. It was time she focused on the present for once.

* * *

**33 minutes remaining**

**M**itsuru Kirijo had to admire the sleek, black car as it glided along the busy streets at a pace that seemed to set it apart from the other cars. For once her staff had chosen a proper vehicle instead of saddling her with the ostentatious limo. Her driver was an older man, one who had been with her family for years, like no doubt his father before him, and had been sworn to keep the secrets of the Kirijo group on the promise of his life. Being a driver was a more dangerous job than most thought. It was his duty to get the important passengers from point A to point B without causing them any harm and to overhear important information, but to never speak a word of it, even if it was life altering. Mitsuru made a mental note to have this man and his family sent a gift basket before turning to face Aigis who had her head resting against the window. From the outside, Aigis looked like her personal secretary, outfit and all. Yet underneath that suit were robotic limbs and guns that certainly marked her as more than 'just a secretary.'

"When will we be arriving?"

Mitsuru realized that she had been staring and smiled apologetically. This was Aigis's attempt at breaking the awkward moment. "Shortly; the man we're meeting doesn't enjoy being told to wait, even if it is the person paying him." Aigis nodded, already knowing the answer, and waited patiently for Mitsuru to ask what she was originally going to before she became distracted. Every day she was becoming more and more human.

"Have you looked in to the matter I asked you about?"

While most of her colleagues seemed to brush off the cold weather as more of a nature phenomenon than anything related to the Shadows, Mitsuru had her doubts. It was rare when things just happened, and with the events of two days ago, she was on her toes about every little thing. Something climatic was going to occur, and she wanted to make sure she and her companies were prepared for it. With that thought in line, she had asked both Labrys and Aigis to begin collecting weapons and items. Recently she sent Aigis out on a trip to the general store in hopes of making deal with the notoriously stingy owner on breaking Mitsuru a deal on all items received in return for increased promotions and items bought.

"While the owner would have preferred to have met with you, they've agreed to the terms so long as it becomes a written document." Mitsuru expected no less, which is why she already had the paper typed up and in her bag, ready to be delivered. She would have Aigis run it down the moment Labrys came back from the antique store.

"Thank you Aigis. You're help is always –" Mitsuru never got to finish her sentence as the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes and sent her head bashing in to the chair in front of her. Blood began to pour from her nose, and Aigis, who didn't even budge, pulled out a tissue from her pocket and handed it to Mitsuru. "Thank you," she mumbled, holding it to her throbbing nose. The driver was apologizing profusely, but Mitsuru was more concerned with the reason as to why he braked. She didn't have to look far, as the answer was right in front of the window, staring right back at her.

Two adults stood calmly in front of the car. They appeared to be twins, but by the way the female was holding herself, she could easily be older. Each sibling was beautiful in the sense of an ice sculpture, with blonde curling hair and startling pale eyes. Oddly, they looked familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place her finger on where she had seen someone with their likeliness before. They seemed unaware of the cars swerving around them, and the boy continued to stare at her, his face serious and refined. Both wore deep, velvet colored outfits that looked beyond expensive. Mitsuru then realized that Aigis was making eye contact with the woman, but instead of curiosity being the reason why, she had an unsettling expression on her face, one that radiated fear. "They are not human," Aigis finally said, refusing to break contact with the female outside. Mitsuru felt a chill run down her back and turned back to face the man who was now being dragged along by the woman to the end of the street. As soon as they left the front of the car, the driver hit the gas and began driving, still mumbling apologies.

"Aigis…"

Already, Aigis had her hand on the door, her head craned around trying to keep an eye on the retreating figures. "I will begin following them immediately."

Mitsuru shook her head and threw the tissue into a trash bag before ordering the driver to pull over.

"No, this time I'm coming with you."

* * *

**27 minutes remaining**

** C**hie Satonaka sat on the steps of the shrine and sighed to no one in particular. She and Yukiko had been investigating all day and not once have they come across a clue. It was beyond cold outside, no one was picking up their phones, and Yukiko had become so desperate for clues that she led them to a shrine to interview a monk that looked as if he'd seen better days. Chie moodily sat outside and stared longingly at the playground near her. She saw a slide, a few see-saws, and even a – her breath caught in her throat. A jungle gym! Swinging on the bars and doing flips were what her childhood was all about. Nervously looking behind to make sure that Yukiko was still talking to the monk, she ran over to the playground enthusiastically, sure that exercising would help her fight away the biting wind. Grabbing the first bar with both her hands she hoisted herself up and balanced on top of it, feeling like a bird of prey as she scanned the horizon. She was enjoying herself up here, maybe a little too much, and was about to hop down and head towards the swing set when she heard a few girls giggling. Craning her head around the jungle gym, she noticed three girls standing by the entrance to the shine that were dressed to the nines. High heels, short skirts, even make-up! What were they thinking in this weather? Chie mentally scolded them, not denying that she was curious as to what they were waiting for. So she stood there, eyes darting from the girls to Yukiko, not wanting to get caught by either for spying. Her feet began to hurt from the position, and she nearly shouted with joy when she saw the girls start to point and talk excitedly.

Following their fingers, Chie saw down the road a man jogging at an incredible pace. He was wearing dark shorts, and a bright red sweater with the hood pulled up tight around his face; nothing spectacular really. Maybe he was some sort of local celebrity? No matter what the answer, she wasn't interested anymore, and nimbly jumped down the bars. She was heading back towards the Shrine steps when she heard one of the girls talking.

"…can't believe Akihiko!"

Chie halted mid step. Akihiko? Her master!?

Oh no…this was both bad and exciting. In the back of her mind she had been hoping to meet him (she brought all of her letters with her just in case), but now that it was actually happening she didn't know what to do. Warn Yukiko, or approach Akihiko? It didn't seem like she would have much choice in the matter. Judging by the increase in screams from the girls, she guessed that he was nearly here, and since she was closer to the entrance than the actual shrine itself, she'd was going to have to approach him. Whispering good luck to herself, stomach awash with butterflies, she tightened her shoelaces, secured the letters in her backpack, and started off at a jog, hoping to notice him before he sees her.

When she emerged from the entrance and stood in the middle of the sidewalk, she could hear the girls yelling catty comments but paid them no mind. They weren't important right now. What was was making sure that Akihiko didn't head in to the shrine for a break and notice Yukiko. She realized that he had seen her the moment her threw back his hood and slowed his jog down. Chie couldn't help but smile when she saw the person she admired, even though he had a confused look on his face. She knew that she could never lie to his face, so she was going to have to do something a little different. Chie nervously began to stretch, and when Akihiko finally made it to her, she was pulling her left leg behind her.

"Oh, uh, hello master."

She heard the explosion of protests from the girls behind her, but neither she nor Akihiko seemed to pay them much mind. Flipping his hood back up again and frowning at the title, Akihiko poked Chie on the forehead. "Just what are you doing here?"

Chie puffed her chest out and summoned up all her bravado before replying. Slapping his shoulder in a friendly manner, she almost winced at how hard it was. "I-I-I'll tell you if you can catch me."

…

…

"Is this a joke?"

Akihiko hadn't been challenged to a race since he was child and the excitement of the competition showed on his face, almost tasting the thrill of winning already. Chie almost cried she was so relived. This trick wouldn't have worked on anyone other than her eternally competitive master. She just hoped that she could put up enough of a fight to get him away from Yukiko before she spilled.

"Of course not! I came here specifically to challenge you."

Akihiko looked confused once more. "Then why do I need to race you if you just told me the answer?"

Ah shit.

"T-There's more! A secret! A huuuuuuge one that you defiantly want to know. So I'm just…going to start…NOW!"

Chie began running at full speed, her short hair whipping around her face, face flushed with embarrassment. At first she didn't think he was following her, but when she began to hear his heavier foot falls, she once again picked up speed, her breath becoming tighter. She didn't know where she was running; all she knew was that she had to win.

* * *

**21 minutes remaining**

** Y**ukiko didn't know what to think when she left the shrine and saw Chie being chased down the street by a tall man in red. The old monk talked _on and on _about nothing in particular until she worked up the courage to politely inform him that she had a friend outside and excused herself from the situation. At least, she thought she had a friend waiting for her. Scanning the sky, she noticed that no longer was it the beautiful blue, but instead was rather dark; an unnatural dark. She looked at the clock behind her and noticed that it was only midday, several minutes before they were to meet up at the shop. Yukiko wondered if anyone else had noticed the sky and pulled out her phone…which was oddly out of service. Panic grabbed her heart, but she tried to remain rational.

_Calm down, I'm sure this has an explanation. Just start walking towards the beef bowl store, and I'm sure you'll run in to someone._

She began walking, but when she realized that less and less people were outside, and the sky was getting darker by the second, her footsteps increased to a jog, and finally she was all out sprinting, her heart racing from both the pace and the horror of the unknown. After running for a few moments, she slowed to a stop and pulled out her phone once more to try and communicate with anyone at this point; nothing, no service, no messages. Yukiko saw her reflection in phone. Her wild hair, crazed eyes, and flushed cheeks. She was sure if she did run in to somebody they'd think she was crazy and run from _her. _Yukiko sat on the sidewalk and fixed her hair. It was a droll task that oddly calmed her, forcing her to breathe and think normally again. When she was done, the first thing she noticed was the white flakes floating all around her.

Snow.

It was actually snowing around this time of year. Yukiko didn't curse much, but at this moment she wanted to yell every single one she knew at the top of her lungs. Nothing was making any sense at all.

The second thing she noticed was just how quiet it was. A pen could drop at the end of the street and she would hear it, loud and clear. No one was on this street. No people, not even animals.

The last thing she realized was that everyone but her was with someone, and that made her want to cry. Even Chie had that weird guy after her, but still, it was company. It was someone to turn around to and ask, _'just what the hell is going on?'_

It became windy now, the flakes flying around wildly and blinding her vision. She had to get moving, alone or not, and find shelter. Otherwise she would die out her all alone, away from all her friends. Yukiko slowly pushed herself up, movements stiff due to the cold, and began to shuffle down the street, eying a house that left its door open in the distance.

* * *

**15 minutes remaining**

He didn't know where he was.

He didn't know what he was doing here.

He didn't know why it was so cold.

All he knew was that his name was Ryoji Mochizuki and something was not right at all.

* * *

**9 minutes remaining**

**K**en Amada knew. He knew that he saw her on top of that building and he knew that he had to go and rescue her.

Only a few minutes ago he had just been trying to buy a candy and newspaper from the convince store until the shopkeeper had just phased out. One minute the elderly man was there, joking about the off weather they were having and the next he was gone. Ken should have been more scared, but he had seen worse. Actually, if he thought about it, this didn't even rank on creepiest things he'd witnessed. What _did _was the ensuing snow and black sky. Checking his phone, Akihiko's number already racing through his head, he was surprised to find that not only was service out, but the minute he opened his phone, it turned off; and refused to turn back on. This didn't even happen during the dead hour.

Was this the dead hour?

No, impossible. Not only was the timing off, but they had gotten rid of the phenomena years ago. Things like that shouldn't just come back. It was impossible. Ken looked over at the store counter. But so was _that._

Deciding that heading out was his only option, Ken borrowed from the store a backpack, several flashlights, a first aid kit, and several snacks and drinks just in case. It was always good to be prepared, especially since this seemed like the worst. On the inside, he felt a jumble of nerves, yet when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he looked oddly serene, as if he expected this to happen.

Snapping on a pair of goggles, his world instantly got a bit darker, but they would do to help protect his eyes. The store didn't have much winter gear since it was the summer, but he found a pair of gardening gloves and ear muffs he now wore. It wasn't heroic gear, but it was sensible. He pushed open the door, a hard task thanks to the wind, and jumped when he heard it slam back behind him. The world outside was chaos. It brimmed with disaster, the wind and snow creating a world he had once read about in a manga. He walked a few steps before regretting his departure from the store. He couldn't see anything, and when he turned around, the store was gone as well.

Now the shock wore off and panic took hold. His palms were sweaty, his knees began to shake, and he briefly wondered if he was the last person left.

Then, she appeared.

Like a beacon, a building suddenly popped in to his view. Already this was odd, but then he looked at the roof and his breath caught. Attached to the chimney, legs tied together and arms held apart, was a girl that he once knew.

A girl he had once lived with.

A girl he had once loved.

Minako, their brave leader who sacrificed herself, was here in this hell, and he was going to pull her down from her tower and rescue her for once. He wanted to run, but the truth of the matter was that the wind and cold kept him at a walk that involved him pushing against an invisible wall to move forward. It was tiring, moving at this pace in this weather, but with every step he felt closer to her, and the longer she was up there, the more harm she could come to.

"Hey there Ken! Need some help?"

Ken screamed. He didn't mean too, but the voice was so friendly, so bubbly, and so random that it shocked him to the core. In front of both him and the house was a petite girl with blonde hair that looked as if she was the winter wind personified; everything from the dark blue outfit to her icy eyes screamed surreal. He stammered, not sure what to say. In the end, all he could ask was how she knew his name.

The strange girl tilted her head back. "Minako told me."

This just kept getting weirder and weirder. Ken nodded his head dumbly. Of course she told her. Did she also tell her about being Ken's first love?

As if reading his thoughts, the strange girl smirked and grabbed him by the elbow. "C'mon, she says she can't get down without your help."

"My help? You seem strong enough." Indeed, the girl who was shorter than him was dragging him along the streets, chatting away happily as if they had gone on vacation together and just so happened to discover that one of their dear friends was staying in the same hotel. "She's says you're special."

Well, that was a nice thought. Ken blushed despite the weather and the girl laughed. "My name is Elizabeth," she said as they finally arrived at the door step, ''and today is an amazing day."

**0 minutes remaining**

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**A/N: **Don't you just love that fresh feeling you get after you finish typing up the first chapter? So exhilarating. Anyways, I'd like to use this space to clear some things.

The first - Ken Amada's age. I'm putting him as twelve during P3, fifteen during P4, and sixteen during P4A and my story. I hope that rolls with everyone.

Second - For those who haven't played the female storyline during P3, Shinjiro lives, yet he's put in an unfortunate coma. By the time this story comes along, he's healed, but still has to visit the hospital for treatments. Poor guys always had a weak immune system.

Third - Yes, as you've guessed, my P3 character is female.

Fourth - the next chapters will be about the same length, but focus more on several characters instead of the whole cast. Expect them to be more detailed than this one was. I like to think of this chapter as that movie that plays when you first click new game.

That's about all for now, but I'm sure there will be more questions and answers later on! Next time expect groups to form, personas to appear, and even more mysteries. Please remember to review!


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